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01-06-2021 | SARS-CoV-2 | Brief Report

Young Adults Underestimate How Well Peers Adhere to COVID-19 Preventive Behavioral Guidelines

Authors: Scott Graupensperger, Christine M. Lee, Mary E. Larimer

Published in: Journal of Prevention | Issue 3/2021

Abstract

To combat the rampant spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has provided Americans with empirically supported preventive behavioral guidelines (e.g., wearing a face mask). However, there is a need to develop behavioral strategies that can effectively increase adherence to these guidelines, especially for young adults, who report particularly poor adherence. Across several domains of prevention science, norms-based interventions have successfully motivated constructive health behavior by correcting normative misperceptions, but these strategies are only relevant when these misperceptions are widespread. We examined the accuracy of young adults’ perceptions of peers’ adherence to CDC-recommended behavioral guidelines (i.e., perceived social norms) to assess the rationale for employing norm-correcting strategies. Young adult college students (N = 539; M_age = 19.5 years) self-reported their level of adherence to a list of preventive behavioral guidelines and estimated the norms regarding the extent to which other young adults adhered to these guidelines. We measured adherence and perceived norms for each guideline in terms of adherence frequency, ranging from 0 to 100% of the time. We found that young adults, on average, underestimated the extent to which other young adults adhere to each of the recommended preventive behaviors. That is, young adults tended to think that other young adults are failing to adhere to CDC guidelines, whereas our self-reported data showed adherence frequency may be quite high. Moreover, we found positive associations between self-reported adherence and perceptions of others’ adherence—that is, those who underestimated others’ adherence also self-reported lower adherence to guidelines. Findings from this study establish proof-of-concept for the development of norms-based strategies designed to improve young adults’ adherence to preventive behavioral guidelines that are both specific to the COVID-19 pandemic and that prepare for future contagious outbreaks.

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Title: Young Adults Underestimate How Well Peers Adhere to COVID-19 Preventive Behavioral Guidelines
Authors: Scott Graupensperger
Christine M. Lee
Mary E. Larimer
Publication date: 01-06-2021
Publisher: Springer US
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
Published in: Journal of Prevention / Issue 3/2021
Print ISSN: 2731-5533
Electronic ISSN: 2731-5541
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-021-00633-4

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Young Adults Underestimate How Well Peers Adhere to COVID-19 Preventive Behavioral Guidelines

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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